Monday - Friday, 6-9 a.m.

Host Tom Temin brings you the latest news affecting the federal community each weekday morning, featuring interviews with top government executives and contractors. Listen live from 6 to 9 a.m. or download archived interviews below.

The Navy's top officer says the rapid pace of technological change means his service can't afford to buy ships in acquisition programs that one single vendor builds and integrates any more. Federal News Radio DoD Reporter Jared Serbu reports, the service sees an agile acquisition process that builds modular, adaptable systems in its future.

The Veterans Affairs Department finally fired Terry Gerigk Wolf last week. The former director of the Pittsburgh VA center had been on paid leave since June following a review of a Legionnaire's disease outbreak that claimed the lives of six patients there. Wolf is the fourth senior executive to be removed under the Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014. John Palguta is vice president for policy at the Partnership for Public Service. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss what that firing means for the future of due process protections for federal employees.

Mergers and acquisitions are an ongoing feature of corporate America. When mergers and acquisitions occur among federal contractors, sometimes the government sits up and takes notice. A few merger and acquisition deals have taken place recently among contractors. Jonathan Aberman, founder of Amplifier Ventures, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with some examples.

Budget pressures on the Defense Department have driven down spending on research and development. That gives the military less say in developments that might give battlefield superiority. But industry can help with a class of products known as non-developmental items. Retired Maj. Gen. Dennis Moran, now with Harris Corporation, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with details.

Auditors say federally-run Native American schools need more oversight on spending. A report from the Government Accountability Office finds that the schools improperly spent nearly $14 million. In one case, a hacker transferred $1.7 million from a school to an off-shore bank account. Melissa Emrey-Arras is director of Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues at GAO. She joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss GAO's findings.

The Veterans Affairs Department has reduced wait times for tens of thousands of veterans seeking health care. Part of the progress comes from the congressionally-mandated Veterans Choice program. It requires the VA to issue choice cards to vets so they can seek medical care from private providers with VA footing the bill. VA issued the first batch of cards this month. James Tuchschmidt, acting principal deputy undersecretary for health at the VA, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss the rollout and the program.

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on Federal News Radio each day. It is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com readers more information about the stories heard on the radio. In today's news, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is giving the military credit for helping to contain Ebola, Healthcare.gov hits its first snag this open enrollment season and Mutual funds might soon be an option for employees enrolled in the Thrift Savings Plan.

You might have heard that baby boomers are no longer babies, and most of them have grandchildren. Federal boomers are retiring in waves. So who replaces them? The Office of Personnel Management is overhauling the government's recruiting tools to attract tech-savvy millennials who might not be charmed by stuffy job descriptions or bureaucratic websites. Federal News Radio's Emily Kopp joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss OPM's new strategy.

The Treasury Department isn't getting ready for the holiday buying season with its new catalog of shared services. Rather, Treasury is opening the door for industry to participate in the governmentwide effort. In his biweekly feature, Inside the Reporter's Notebook, Federal News Radio's Executive Editor Jason Miller writes about Treasury's plans. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss the next step to move the government toward shared services for financial management.

The pace of new Ebola infections appears to have leveled off, but its too early declare victory. A lot of work is going on behind the scenes, on the research front. Army scientists are working on a vaccine for Ebola. With troops being deployed to West Africa to help control and treat the outbreak, Army scientists are taking the most advanced vaccines forward as quickly as possible. Dr. John Dye is the viral immunology branch chief at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. He tells Tom Temin on the Federal Drive that for the Army, research into infectious diseases has a long history.

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on Federal News Radio each day. It is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com readers more information about the stories heard on the radio. In today's news, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe announces his retirement, the State Department shuts off its unclassified e-mail after a cyber attack and the Pentagon looks for fresh ideas on how to keep military superiority.

The Obama administration has been trying to measure and benchmark the costs and best practices of back-office functions that all agencies do. The Office of Management and Budget and the General Services Administration say it's the first step toward long-term and meaningful improvements in efficiency and effectiveness. Their efforts are starting to impress even skeptical agency managers. Federal News Radio's Executive Editor Jason Miller joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss how some agencies are doing an about face when it comes to understanding the value of this benchmarking initiative.

From working at orphanages to helping injured dogs, federal employees and their families stationed overseas are going above-and-beyond by volunteering. Six individuals have been recognized for their exemplary service with Secretary of State Awards for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad. Web Editors Mike O'Connell and Julia Ziegler attended the ceremonies and joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with details.

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on Federal News Radio each day. It is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com readers more information about the stories heard on the radio. In today's news, another head rolls at the Veterans Affairs Department, the Justice Department comes under fire for a cell phone data collection program, and the Pentagon warns the fight against ISIS may need more American troops.

The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency is helping with Ebola civilian relief efforts in Africa. The agency launches a new public website featuring maps showing power grids, roads and other infrastructure that might be useful to civilian workers. Tools will let users pinpoint Ebola cases by location. Tim Peplaw is director of NGA's Readiness, Response and Recovery group. Peplaw points out to Tom Temin on the Federal Drive that for the NGA, support for humanitarian causes is nothing new.

The Combined Federal Campaign is underway for 2014. This year charity-minded federal employees have a new option that lifts the geographical restrictions on the charities they can choose. The goal for the Chesapeake Bay Area is an ambitious seven-million dollars. There are over 24,000 approved charities to choose from. Col. Jeremy Martin is commandant of the Defense Information School (DINFOS) and campaign chairman for the Chesapeake Bay Area CFC program. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss the new options for this season.

Cold temperatures have arrived and with them, the season to think about holiday plans. But you should also start thinking about your investment strategies for 2015 and beyond. Art Stein is a certified financial planner and investment manager. He has long experience with federal employees and their particular concerns. Stein joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with some advice for dealing with the Thrift Savings Plan and other matters.

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on Federal News Radio each day. It is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com readers more information about the stories heard on the radio. In today's news, an investigation by the Energy Department's Inspector General finds that Sandia National Labs illegally extended a contract, President Obama nominates several people to important posts, and a request for Ebola funding finds bipartisan support.

Congress has returned to Washington for two days, and already things are crabby. But the lame duck session has a lot of work to do. First and foremost, pass spending bills because the continuing resolution expires Dec. 11. The Senate and House appropriations committee chairs have been working on it, but the coming change in the make-up of Congress complicates things. Erik Wasson, who covers Capitol Hill for Bloomberg, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with a look ahead.

The Justice Department Inspector General finds that a student hiring program was marred by nepotism. Two immigration administrators and a judge made the hiring of relatives seem like a routine practice in the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Joe Kaplan is founding principal at the Washington law firm Passman & Kaplan. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to review the rules about nepotism and how federal managers can avoid trouble.